


A Change in the Wind

by mggislife2789



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Jeid, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 14:12:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12483476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mggislife2789/pseuds/mggislife2789
Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original stories. This is only for fun. It's where my brain goes after the credits roll. No copyright intended. Better safe than sorry. ;)





	A Change in the Wind

“I can’t do this anymore, Jennifer.”

Will had called it. He didn’t want to do it anymore. But one of the things they had always known about each other was their love for the job. In order to keep their relationship going, they decided it was okay to call it - say they didn’t want to go through the hell of not knowing whether or not they would live day by day - but secretly, neither wanted the other to call it. Both of them loved their jobs more than words could say, despite the difficulties that came with it.

And then he called it.

But JJ couldn’t let go. She couldn’t say goodbye to the job she’d worked so hard for.

After numerous arguments during which time there were more tears on both sides than they ever thought possible, Will understood, but he couldn’t stay, and so they split.

Now, it was a year later, and although she didn’t regret her decision, she did miss Will. He was the father of her children and the man she loved for nearly 10 years. She would always love him, but she just wasn’t in love with him anymore. 

At this point, her boys were her number one priority. Next came the job and those she loved, especially Spencer. After this past year, with all of the bullshit with Scratch and everything he’d been through his mother and Cat Adams, the two had been spending more time together. Just as he had in the past, he came to her with everything. He unloaded all his troubles on her. 

“I’m sorry, JJ,” he whispered, his head slinking in between his knees as he tried to banish the bad dreams from his mind. “I don’t mean to bog you down with all of this, I…I-I just don’t know who to go to. Emily has the Unit Chief role now, Morgan is gone. Luke and Tara and Matt are all nice but I don’t know them that well. Garcia is so sunshine-y that I don’t want to fill her head with all the crap I’ve been through…I just, I know with everything you’ve been through with Will that listening to me can’t be easy, but…I need you to know that I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.”

That night had changed their relationship forever. Friends for nearly a decade and a half, and now they were something more. When Spencer poured his heart out, JJ found herself comforting him as she normally did, her arms wrapped around his hunched shoulders. But when he looked up to thank her yet again for listening, she found her lips crashing against his. Nothing happened that night, but ever since they had danced around their feelings for each other. 

Occasionally, it was sex for the sake of sex. Sometimes they’d go out together, but never really stipulated whether they were dating or not. And other times they would sleep at the other’s place, doing nothing but talking all night. A year on and their relationship still wasn’t defined.

Spencer seemed happier and JJ wasn’t missing Will as much as she used to, but everything was just happening - nothing was established, and unbeknownst to them both, it was starting to bother them.

“JJ, you wanna grab something to eat after work?” Spencer asked. He was hoping to talk to her tonight to figure out what they actually were. For almost 15 years, they’d been best friends, but he wanted more, and he felt like they could have it, but JJ might not have felt the same way. He’d put off having this conversation for so long; if she didn’t want more, then their friendship might be strained, and he didn’t want that. He was petrified that after all he’d lost, he might lose her too.

Her head popped up from her desk and she smiled. “Sure. Will has the boys for the weekend, so I’m free.”

Hours later, the two left work under the watchful eyes of their friends and colleagues who were aware that Spencer’s relationship with JJ had changed. “So…” JJ hesitated, “Where do you wanna go?”

“Umm, Thai?”

“Always good.”

Their drive to the restaurant was filled with awkward silences and held breaths. Both wanted to say something but couldn’t figure out a way to get it out. It was only after the waiter took their orders that Spencer finally blurted out what he’d been thinking for months. “JJ…what are we?”

She swallowed hard. “I don’t know…Spence, I love you. We’ve been best friends for 13 years, almost 14. I don’t want to lose you.”

Spencer’s hands reached across the table and covered hers. She was shaking. “I don’t want to lose you either. I think something has changed between us though. JJ, I could see myself really falling in love with you.”

Something in his eyes told JJ that he was already in love with her. Or maybe that was what she wanted to believe. “I think I’m already in love with you,” she breathed. A tear fell from her eye and onto the tablecloth. “But I was with Will for ten years. I never thought we’d separate…and we did. Granted we’re still friends, but I feel like if something went wrong between us, I couldn’t remain friends with you, and the idea of losing that aspect of our relationship scares the life out of me.”

He wasn’t sure how he should feel about that. On the one hand, it scared him too, but not exploring what they might have now and being filled with regret scared him too. “I know. It scares me too.” The waiter came back with their food, leaving the three of them sitting in awkward silence until he left. “But if I learned anything from what I’ve been through in the past couple years, it’s that I don’t want to live with regrets, so I had to tell you how I feel and see if you wanted what I want.”

The side of her lip curled up as another tear fell onto the table. “And what do you want, Spence?”

“You.” He’d done so much crying in the past year or so that he didn’t think there was anything left. “I couldn’t have gotten through this last year without you. You’re beautiful. You’re intelligent. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know, and you know I already love the boys.” His hopeful smile broke her and she started to sob.

“I know you do and I want to see where this goes, just…just promise me that if anything happens we’ll still be friends.” She gripped his hands tightly and he responded in kind. What he wouldn’t have given to have this kind of an anchor when he was in prison. “I can’t lose you.”

“I promise.” From across the table, the two stared at each other for a few minutes, their food losing heat by the second. “I won’t lose you. I promise.”

JJ blinked the tears away and stood up from the table, pulling her chair next to Spencer’s and pressing her lips to his. “Okay. Then let’s see where this goes.”

Spencer laughed, the kind of nervous laugh that’s let go after holding your breath in anticipation, and snaked his hands up JJ’s neck and into her hair. “I promise. I swear.”


End file.
